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Set in the fictional African land of Wakanda,
"Black Panther" became a global hit and was hailed as a
milestone for racial diversity in Hollywood when it came out in
2018.
Released by Disney-owned Marvel, it was the first superhero film
to feature a predominantly Black cast.
For cast members of Wakanda Forever, the Marvel blockbuster had
a positive impact on perceptions of the continent.
"Embracing the diversity that is African culture has resulted in
other people embracing their indigenous cultures as well," said
Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong'o who plays "Nakia", one of the lead
roles.
"We are celebrating our culture, we are celebrating where we are
from in a way that is extremely inclusive," she said.
"Black Panther" was 2018's top-grossing movie in the United
States and Canada, and second-highest worldwide, with $1.3
billion in ticket sales.
"I would have needed that movie as a child because there are not
so many role models," Florence Kasumba, who stars in the film,
said at the premiere on Thursday night.
For Ayodeji Aiyesimoju, a lecturer in media studies at Joseph
Ayo Babalola University in Nigeria, the film marked a turning
point in Black history and disputed some stereotypes about
Africa.
"It opened conversations for questions. People were genuinely
interested in knowing about the continent," he said in an
interview.
But African film industries could do more to capitalize on the
opportunity, he said, adding that he would like to see more
Black actors in Hollywood and more partnerships between major
studios in the U.S. and Britain and in countries like Ghana and
Nigeria.
Others were less positive.
Rather than supporting the African film industry, "Black
Panther" was just another exploitation of Africa by Westerners
out to profit from their own idealized version of it, said one
member of the Nigerian film industry.
"But you have to understand that it was Africa that impacted
Black Panther," said American-born Zimbabwean actress Danai
Gurira, who plays the superhero "Okoye" in both movies.
"The role I play was all about looking at what Africa was and
bringing (that) into the world."
(Reporting by David Doyle and Sarah Mills; Writing by Nellie
Peyton and Sofia Christensen; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel)
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